Klaus Teuber

Catan GmbH is debuting a new CATAN release at Essen, which will not only add new game elements to Klaus Teuber’s award-winning fan favorite but will donate all proceeds from the scenario to the Global Crop Diversity Trust (Crop Trust). CATAN – Crop Trust is a collaboration between Crop Trust and Catan GmbH, introducing a new semi-cooperative way to play the classic game as well as teaching players about one of the greatest challenges facing the planet today.

Players’ must balance their individual need to harvest crops against their collective goal to store and preserve seeds in the Seed Vault. Players who harvest too much endanger the seed diversity, and in doing so, threaten the land with mass extinctions and a collapse of the food supply.

“As a part of our mission to support the conservation of natural resources, Catan GmbH will donate all proceeds from the scenario to the Crop Trust. Catan Studio, the publisher for the English-speaking market, will also donate a portion of their revenue per printed copy and will offer support to organizations who want to use the scenario for educational or charitable causes.”

CATAN – Crop Trust contains educational information in addition to the board game. A specially-produced almanac which explains the history of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Frequently Asked Questions, and examples of the importance of crop conservation are also included.

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CATAN – Crop Trust will debut at the Essen Game Fair and will be available in stores and online on November 8, 2018.

A Game of Thrones Catan: Brotherhood of the Watch will add 5-6 player support and a number of new features in the upcoming extension to the existing game by Fantasy Flight Games. A Game of Thrones Catan: Brotherhood of the Watch adds several new mechanisms to the classic Catan gameplay. Players step into the roles of brothers of the Night’s Watch, who are tasked with recruiting guards for the wall and developing the Gift.

“The northern region known as the Gift was bestowed on the Night’s Watch thousands of years ago. This fertile land provides the Watch with lumber, brick, wool, grain, and ore. At least, it used to. As the Watch has become forgotten by the lords and ladies of Westeros, the infrastructure of the Gift has fallen into disrepair and the Lord Commander, Jeor Mormont, is willing to give anything to one who can restore the Gift to its former glory, even naming them as his successor.”[source]

Players are locked in competition to become the next Lord Commander by building roads, settlements, and keeps. Purchasing Development Cards and recruiting guards to defend the Wall are also crucial in proving players’ worth. With the addition of two more players, more land and paths are made available in an extended version of the game. The addition of a Special Build Phase in each player’s turn allows them to set each other apart as they spend their resources on unique, new opportunities.

4 new hero cards have also been added to hero display including the iconic Jon Snow who is able to protect a player from the robber, Tormund Giantsbane. The other heroes making their debut are Osha, Gilly, and Aemon Targaryen. Of course, to help balance out the boost to the players there’s an equal boost to the opposition in the form of mammoths to assist the two new Wildling clans.

A Game of Thrones Catan: Brotherhood of the Watch supports 3-4 players without the expansion, and 3-6 players including it. A typical game lasts 60-75 minutes though that will probably be lengthier with the extra players. The game was designed by Klaus Teuber and Benjamin Teuber and the extension should be released soon.

Catan fans can rejoice as there’s a lot of fun announcements for the most deservedly-lauded board games of our era. All of this news comes courtesy of the Catan Newsletter which was chock-full of everything Catan-related that one could possibly imagine. So without further ado, let’s talk about the exciting stuff!

As far as news goes for the Catan line of standalone games – Game of Thrones Catan had quickly sold out and is being reprinted with an estimated street date of November 2018. There is also a new game in the Catan Histories line, Rise of the Inkas, which is slated to arrive this summer and so far it sounds really cool. In addition to the standard rules of play, each player will have to decline their settlements twice over the course of the game, with the first player to rebuild their third era civilization being the winner. Old, retired settlements will do nothing more than provide resources for you, but they can also be built over by opponents only, so long-term planning is a must! As described via the press release:

“The strategic choices you face in Catan are even more nuanced in Rise of the Inkas. As you approach the pinnacle of a tribe’s development, your opponents look for ways to take advantage of your settlements in decline and try to take the best locations for their own! Deciding when to advance your tribe is something that you must carefully consider, for simply rushing to advance can put you in a compromised position as the resources you relied on can be claimed by your opponents.”

On the digital front, there’s Catan Universe – an online ecosystem for the base game and it’s first two expansions that can be played between all supported devices (Android, iOS, Steam, and any web browser). Now it’s easier than ever to trade and steal sheep with whoever you want, wherever you want! There’s also Catan Stories: Legend of the Sea Robbers. Players control a raven who accompanies three heroes in a choose-your-own-adventure style experience as they face conflicts that shape the future of the island.

Last, but certainly not least, there’s more Catan-themed merchandise in the shop, including Chocolate Catan and socks! There’s a lot of fun things to find in there, especially gift ideas for a board-gamer in your life. So if ever there was a time when more hexagonal-based strategy goodness was needed in your life, there’s a lot to indulge in now. If you’re interested in more Catan-related products and news, be sure to check out their website for more information and announcements!

Tired of eating wheat and mutton? Catan is about to get a lot more delicious.

Just in time for Christmas (and Easter) a new edible edition of Catan is rolling out. The new Catan: Chocolate Edition includes 32 pieces of fine Belgian chocolate in the shapes of knights, cities, settlements and roads. And the end of the game tuck the pieces away, into your belly rather than back in the box.

The new Catan: Chocolate edition includes everything you’ll need to play. In addition to the chocolate the game comes with a set of resource cards, spinner and a complete set of simplified game rules.

This simpler (but far more delicious) version of the Catan includes a spinner to determine resources rather than dice. To build something, pay the familiar resource costs but chocolate bars earned get placed in front of you. The first player to reach 5 victory points wins the game. Following the game players eat the pieces in their tableau.

Inedible Editions of Catan

In Catan (formerly The Settlers of Catan), designed by Klaus Teuber, players try to settle the island of Catan by building settlements, cities, and roads. Players roll dice to determine what resources the island produces. Players collect these resources in the form of wood, grain, brick, sheep, or stone cards and then use cards to build up their community and try to be the first to 10 victory points. Though the original edition of Catan has cards for grain and sheep, none of the original commodities were actually edible or shearable.

Catan is considered by many to be a staple of the modern gaming era. The game has been winning awards steadily since it’s original release in 1995. A short list of awards won includes:

Sony Pictures is currently negotiating for the rights to adapt “Catan” into a movie. Apparently the studio is looking forward to turning Catan into a possible franchise, and is fast-tracking the film towards production. Could Knights and Seafarers follow in the future, or will the franchise pivot towards attracting 5-6 additional moviegoers?

“We’re excited to be working with Sony to bring the iconic world of Catan to life,” Katz said. “As huge fans of the game, we’re struck by the endless possibilities of stories that it could inspire. It’s not every day that you have the opportunity to work in a world beloved by millions of people, and expand its story for the screen.”

Blaise Hemingway has been tapped to write the screenplay. Blaise has just one released film as writer, 2006 short film The Bracelet. Hemingway is credited as writer for two additional films in pre-production, Ugly Dolls and an untitled Playmobil Movie.

(Settlers of) Catan

Catan, designed by Klaus Teuber, has sold over 25 million copies worldwide and is available in 38 different language. It was often credited as launching a renaissance in board game design following its 1995 release. It spawned a seemingly endless stream of expansions, including the recently 2017 release Catan: Legends of the Sea Robbers.

In the original Catan 2-4 players try build settlements, cities, and roads in an effort to dominate the island of Catan. On each turn a pair of dice are rolled to determine what resources are produced on the island. Players whose cities and settlements are adjacent to resource producing hexes collect resource cards and spend them to build up their civilization in an attempt to get 10 victory points and win the game.

In 1995 Catan, then still referred to as Settlers of Catan, won the coveted Spiel des Jahres award and in 2001 was inducted in two the Originals Hall of Fame. A partial list of awards won includes:

Now all those worries of losing or damaging the Catan game components as you travel are over! Mayfair Games has announced a travel edition of Catan that will feature a space-saving box that unfolds to reveal:

“The variable board. Roads, settlements and cities are safe in their locking drawers. Cards are held securely in holder trays. Even the dice, thanks to the practical hex-shaped shaker cannot get dropped and lost. CATAN compact is handy, fits easily into your luggage and contains all of the components and fun the “big” CATAN.

A copy of Catan Traveler will contain:

1 folding tough plastic box

6 double-sided plastic game board parts

1 dice shaker

97 plastic game pieces

2 plastic card holders

134 cards

It is important to note that this version of Catan, due to its unique design, will not be compatible with any of the Expansions or Extensions in the Catan line of products. This new travel version is scheduled for release in the summer of 2015.

Settlers of Catan, known officially now as simply Catan, could possibly be attributed as the game that brought the world into a new century of tabletop gaming possibilities. Now, twenty years after designer Klaus Teuber gave it birth, Catan has brought hours of exploration, trading, and civilization building fun to living rooms all around the world.

One such home that has become permeated with the iconic game of hex tiles and wooden bits is that of Hollywood producer Gail Katz (The Perfect Storm, Air Force One). Ever since her college-aged children introduced her to the game, she has wanted to see an adaptation of the game come to the big screen.

“The island of Catan is a vivid, visual, exciting and timeless world with classic themes and moral challenges that resonate today,” says Katz. “There is a tremendous opportunity to take what people love about the game and its mythology as a starting point for the narrative.”

Katz has obtained the TV and film rights to Catan, and therefore now has an opportunity to see a dramatization of the game come to life.

In the 20 years since Klaus Teuber revolutionized game design with the original Settlers of Catan, a worldwide fandom has developed around the game. The original game, plus its expansions, have sold more than 22 million copies and has been translated into 30 languages.

The influence of Mayfair Games’ Settlers of Catan on the world of tabletop gaming is irrefutable. Now, after 20 years of the game’s success, Mayfair Games has announced that the game’s name will be officially changed to simply Catan. What’s more, they will be releasing a 5th edition of the game, along with all of its expansions and 5-6 player extensions. The new edition will be fully compatible with the 4th edition of the game, yet with fresh and intriguing new artwork. Additionally, there will be a new clarified rules set, which will be the official tournament canon and will be available in PDF form online when the new edition is released.

Neither publisher has released what the new look will translate to for the numerous expansion sets and standalone variants. But this should make the product stand out. Though the responses seen on the Catan Facebook page seem to be very mixed. Many respondents seemed unimpressed by such a simple piece of cover art.

As a Minnesotan this hurts to say but I love the Green Bay Packers at the moment. They have taken up playing the Settlers of Catan. While I might bleed purple and gold the Packers truly have done something amazing in their evangelizing the gaming hobby to the public.

The team is as competitive off of the field as they are on.

The competitive nature of the Green Bay’s Catan tradition is now legendary in the locker room. Two weeks ago, Linsley won the game, but Bakhtiari, who typically hosts the games at his house, had briefly gone outside to cook a chicken for the group. He furiously protested Linsley’s victory because of this. “He put an asterisk by it. I didn’t,” Linsley said. Backup quarterback Scott Tolzien is famous for slamming the board in frustration when he loses.

Popularity amongst the team has grown to the point where they have to play with the 5-6 players expansion. As the enthusiasm for the game spreads throughout the team new players are learning that everyone is so competitive that they might not mention rules until the newbie has violated the rule.

When tight end Justin Perillo mentioned the game on local radio their local game store ‘Gnome Games’ saw a large influx of customers wanting to buy copies of Settlers. The owner of the store cited sales of that particular game doubling over expected resulting in a need to reorder copies in mid December.

It is clear that this article was written by a non-gamer. Many of the statements made both mock the intelligence of the players and the gaming community. Referring to a game like Risk as notoriously complex. the length of the game does not necessarily correlate to complexity. Additionally he describes this as something you could correlate to being like a fantasy version of Monopoly.